BEIJING, Feb 17, 2011 (AFP) - The largest solar flare in more than four years has caused disruptions to shortwave radio communications in China, state media has reported.The solar flare, a huge explosion on the sun's surface caused by magnetic activity, affected transmissions in southern China on Tuesday, Xinhua newsagency has said, quoting the China Meteorological Administration. (MCT)The US spac

LONDON (AP) _ Rocker Rod Stewart has become a father for the eighth time.The 66-year-old Stewart's wife, Penny Lancaster, gave birth to a baby boy Wednesday. British singer Rod Stewart, right, and his wife Penny Lancaster (AP)A statement released Thursday on the couple's behalf said they were ``proud and thrilled.''Aiden is Stewart and Lancaster's second child. They have another son, Alastair, who

BMW Korea has unveiled new X3 (Yonhap News)BMW Korea has unveiled new X3 (Yonhap News)BMW Korea has unveiled new X3 (Yonhap News)BMW Korea, the South Korean unit of German automaker BMW Group, on Thursday introduced the latest version of the BMW X3 in South Korea.BMW Korea said the New X3 is a "sport activity vehicle" that offers the comfort and driving experience of a sedan, but is perfect for of

It's a North Korean version of Christmas, with Kim Jong Il playing Santa Claus. In past years, the authoritarian leader has celebrated his birthday by handing out gifts ranging from rice to Rolexes, an annual attempt to buy loyalty and stability.As Kim celebrates his 69th birthday Wednesday, however, the gift baskets may be lighter and knockoff Gucci could replace the real thing. People are celebr

South Korean football players Park Ji-sung and Cha Du-ri have been ruled out for about a month with injuries, their respective European clubs said Tuesday.Park, a midfielder for Manchester United in the English Premier League, will miss about four weeks of action with a hamstring injury, the team announced on its Web site.Park Ji-sung (Yonhap News)"We got a blow on Saturday morning with the news t

A Verizon Wireless employee helps a new iPhone user in New York, Thursday, Feb. 10, 2011. (AP-Yonhap News)NEW YORK (AP) _ Apple Inc. announced a subscription system for buying newspapers and magazines on iPhone and iPad applications on Tuesday, making it easier for publishers to mine the popular mobile devices for more revenue.The update announced Tuesday enables publishers to sell subscriptions b

WASHINGTON, (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday called for more investment in building infrastructure to catch up with South Korea and other outperforming countries.In a message to Congress attached to his budget for the 2012 fiscal year, Obama said the U.S. "lags behind other nations when it comes to the infrastructure of the future," noting that "only 63 percent of American househo

The number of female workers in South Korea grew in 2010 as the economic recovery boosted employment among women job seekers, data showed Tuesday.The average number of female workers came to 9.91 million last year, up 142,000 from a year earlier, according to the data offered by the Ministry of Strategy and Finance and Statistics Korea.Female workers have been on a steady increase in recent years

Ousted Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak is suffering from serious health problems and fainted before his last speech, informed sources in Egypt told Palestinian news agency Ma’an on Sunday.“Mubarak’s condition was the reason his much anticipated speech on Thursday was delayed. Egyptian army leaders avoided exerting more pressure on the former president in the final days of his rule due to his poor he

Two South Koreans were seriously wounded after they were shot by unidentified gunmen in the city of Lambare, Paraguay, last week, foreign ministry officials said.The pair, identified only by their surnames Lee and Jeong, were returning home from work on Friday (local time) when gunmen on motorcycles approached them and shot them, the officials said. (MCT)The victims remain in serious condition whi

SAO PAULO (AP) _ Three-time FIFA player of the year Ronaldo will announce his retirement from football on Monday, according to a Brazilian newspaper.``It's time,'' Ronaldo was quoted as saying by the website of the Estado de S. Paulo newspaper on Sunday. ``I can't keep going. I wanted to continue but I can't. I think about making a play but I can't execute it.'' (AP)Ronaldo's agent, Fabiano Farah,

The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) said Sunday it decided to rejoin parliamentary sessions, a move to put the National Assembly on a normal track after two months of paralysis.Sohn Hak-kyu, head of the party, however, said he refuses a proposed bilateral meeting with President Lee Myung-bak, claiming Lee lacks seriousness on dialogue."The life of low- and middle-income people is really head

South Korea on Sunday confirmed two additional bird flu outbreaks in areas near Seoul despite nationwide efforts to stem the spread of the disease.The farm ministry said the new cases were reported at a medium-sized duck farm and a small poultry farm that raises chickens and ducks, which reported symptoms earlier in the week.All 8,400 birds on the two farms in Hwaseong south of Seoul and Dongduche

State police stand outside of a nightclub after gunmen opened fire and hurled a grenade in the western city of Guadalajara, Mexico, early Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011. Six people were killed and at least 37 were injured. (AP Photo) GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) _ Armed men opened fire and hurled a grenade into a crowded nightclub early Saturday, killing six people and wounding at least 37 in a western city

 BARCELONA, Spain (Yonhap) -- South Korean mobile carriers are set to demonstrate in Spain their solutions to the surge in data traffic with fewer base stations and lesser costs, carriers said Sunday. (Yonhap News)KT Corp. and SK Telecom Co. said they can shrink the amount of initial network investment and operation fees with their latest cloud-based long term evolution (LTE) technology, the fourt

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Elizabeth Taylor remained in a Los Angeles hospital on Saturday for treatment of congestive heart failure. Oscar-winning actress Elizabeth Taylor remained in a Los Angeles hospital on Saturday for treatment of congestive heart failure. (AP)The Oscar-winning actress' condition was unchanged, her spokeswoman Sally Morrison said early Saturday afternoon. She did not know how long T

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) - A dog in Riverside County is recovering after becoming a real pot head.Animal Services spokesman John Welsh says the male dog got his head stuck in an old smudge pot, a device used for burning oil.An officer safely freed the white dog, who was nicknamed "Smokey" because his face was blackened during his misadventure Friday near Hemet.The officer says the animal was likely

(MCT)BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) -- Hungary's notorious octogenarian thief is not ready for retirement.The 84-year-old woman, known as "Flying Gizi," whose criminal record goes back to the 1950s, is again in custody for suspected theft, police said Tuesday.Fejer County Police spokeswoman Agnes R. Szabo said the burglar, whose real name is Gizella Bodnar, is suspected of taking some 15,000 forints (euro

WASHINGTON (AP) _ A congressman from New York abruptly resigned his seat Wednesday, quitting, he said, because he regretted actions that have hurt his family and others.The gossip website Gawker reported Wednesday that Rep. Christopher Lee, a married two-term Republican lawmaker, had sent a shirtless photo of himself to a woman he met on Craigslist, an online advertising site. Rep. Christopher Lee

NEW YORK (AP) _ Google Inc. and Facebook Inc. have both held low-level talks with Twitter Inc. about purchasing the privately held social networking service, according to a report published Thursday.The talks have valued Twitter at $8 billion to $10 billion, The Wall Street Journal said, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter. The Journal said the company had 2010 revenue of $45 million bu